


Words Fall Through Me

by justyoumeandthestars



Series: When The Ship Goes Down [1]
Category: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-29
Updated: 2013-05-29
Packaged: 2017-12-13 07:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justyoumeandthestars/pseuds/justyoumeandthestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being the single father to a two year old girl can be slightly easier than most stereotypes portray, unless said daughter hasn’t eaten in a few hours and is running exceptionally low on sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words Fall Through Me

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my countless hours being spent as a grocery store cashier as of late. Part one of many. 
> 
> Series title from my favorite, Jillette Johnson, and her song "When The Ship Goes Down".

Peter meets Bruce on a Tuesday after work. Harlen’s on his hip, sucking on his shirt collar and all he wants is to buy her the cereal she insists on having each morning. There’s a line for each of the registers that all extended their way down the isles. The teen cashiers look frantic and, judging by the way she keeps squirming, Harlen’s about fifteen seconds short of a breakdown. 

“Daddy, want to go home.” She whines into his jaw and he sighs and bounces her lightly to relax her. 

Being the single father to a two year old girl can be slightly easier than most stereotypes portray, unless said daughter hasn’t eaten in a few hours and is running exceptionally low on sleep. She kicks her booted foot and hits him in the stomach and he takes a deep breath before he has a breakdown of his own. 

The store is bright and the music playing overhead is a mix of seventies, which is rapidly becoming Peter’s least favorite decade. The Beatles are in the middle of _Live and Let Die_ -ing when Harlen finally snaps. Her jaw falls open and she lets out somewhat of a battle cry, and there’s wrinkles between her nearly-transparent eyebrows and he holds her tighter and shushes her softly. He knows that if he leaves now, he’ll deal with her screaming in the morning - and while he’s attempting to decide between the lesser of two evils, a hand taps his shoulder. 

It’s a man, about five inches taller than Peter and far more muscular. His hair is dark and curly and his lips are plush and his eyes kind. “I can help you over on register four, I’m sorry for the wait.” And Peter simply doesn't have enough morals to let the people ahead of him glaring at him go before him and he really, really wants to follow this man. 

“Thanks for helping me out,” he talks over Harlen’s screaming, “I’m sure crying two year olds are when things cross the line.” He jokes. The man, Bruce Banner, his name tag reads, just smiles at him. Peter hands over his card for Bruce to scan and the man not-so-subtly glances at the name. 

“Peter Parker? You’re Tony’s kid?” Peter nods slowly, and then the transaction’s over and Peter leaves. He’s completely not surprised the man knows his father. Other than being a former playboy, his dad is Tony Stark and is a billionaire. Which has nothing to do with how Peter’s living his life, he thinks as he arrives at his shoe-box apartment in a sketchy neighborhood. He lifts Harlen out of her car-seat and locks the car before heading upstairs. 

And if he has some trouble falling asleep that night thinking the gorgeous manager of the grocery store downtown thinking he’s a spoiled brat kid who knocked up some girl whom his daddy is now paying for, that’s his business and his alone.


End file.
